Rheumatic Diseases
Rheumatic diseases are a broad and diverse group of conditions characterised by inflammation or degeneration affecting the musculoskeletal system — the joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and surrounding soft tissues — and in many cases other organ systems as well. They span the spectrum from extremely common conditions such as osteoarthritis to rarer autoimmune disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus.
Major categories
Inflammatory arthritides include rheumatoid arthritis (RA) — a systemic autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the synovial lining of joints, causing pain, swelling, stiffness, and progressive joint damage — and spondyloarthropathies, a family of conditions including ankylosing spondylitis (which primarily affects the spine and sacroiliac joints) and psoriatic arthritis (associated with psoriasis). Crystal arthropathies — gout and pseudogout — result from the deposition of uric acid or calcium pyrophosphate crystals within joints, causing episodic, intensely painful attacks. Connective tissue diseases include systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Sjögren's syndrome, myositis, and systemic sclerosis — multisystem autoimmune disorders that can affect the skin, kidneys, lungs, heart, and nervous system. Osteoarthritis, the most prevalent joint condition globally, is primarily a degenerative disease characterised by cartilage breakdown, rather than a true inflammatory arthritis, though inflammation does play a role.
Symptoms
Joint pain, swelling, and morning stiffness — lasting more than 30 minutes in inflammatory conditions — are cardinal features. Systemic symptoms such as fatigue, fever, and weight loss occur in many inflammatory rheumatic diseases. Skin rashes, dry eyes and mouth, Raynaud's phenomenon (colour changes in the fingers in response to cold), and organ involvement signal multisystem disease.
Choosing where to be treated
Use our independent directory to compare licensed organisations in Turkey, or read our selection guide before you decide.